


Un Gioco Affascinante

by MindOfStoriesToTell



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-12
Packaged: 2018-02-28 22:01:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2748707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindOfStoriesToTell/pseuds/MindOfStoriesToTell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bedelia has decided to withdraw from her present company.  After the events of Mizumono, Hannibal's convinces Bedelia to join him on his Great Escape. Several months later, the "married" couple are living in Florence but someone new in their lives may know everything and want a front row seat to the never-ending game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. La Bottiglia di Profumo

**Author's Note:**

> The title is the Italian form of "A Fascinating Game."
> 
> Chapter 1 title means, "The Perfume Bottle."
> 
> Obviously, none of the characters are mine but I just had to write a fanfic!

**Un Gioco Affascinante **

 

Chapter 1: La Bottiglia di Profumo

                    At only 46, Bedelia du Maurier had grown incredibly tired.  In her youth, she would have relished in the opportunity to play such games, especially given the fact that, by some accounts, she was winning.  But these extensive mind games she's been trapped playing with Hannibal Lecter over the past few years have left her feeling both mentally and physically exhausted.  As she began to notice the physical signs that her body would not put up with much more of their cunning banter and endless circling, she felt it best to _withdraw_ from her current social situation.  So, by the time she found herself in Hannibal's waiting room, she had already phoned certain contacts of hers to set up an extended stay away from Baltimore in the hopes Dr. Lecter was smart enough not to make a move without truly knowing her sudden absence would not be noted.  Not that her experience in his office was any less terrifying, but they have been at this dance long enough for her to know, if her fears about who he really is are true, he would not strike without being absolutely certain.  As clear as she may have been with Hannibal to stay away, she was just as clear with herself that he would most certainly be making a visit to her house as soon as he possibly could.  It was only an afterthought when, after she had loaded her bags into the cab, she ran back into the house and up to the master bathroom to retrieve the small bottle of her expensive perfume.  With a triumphant smirk, she placed the bottle neatly on her chair in the room she once regularly used to see patients, for she knew when Hannibal crept into her empty house the message would be clear, _not even that perfect nose of yours will find me this time._

After weeks of no contact between both Hannibal Lecter and the prying eyes of the FBI, Bedelia was finally allowing herself to relax.  When she looked in the mirror, she no longer saw or felt like some terrified child that had witnessed something unknown and unnatural.  She once told herself that her nerves had arisen after an attack by an unstable patient, but deep down Bedelia had always known the attack only allowed the nerves to surface but they had been festering under her skin from the first time she ever sensed something frightening under Dr. Lecter's well-tailored person suit.  Her body began to show signs of reinvigoration, as her appetite appeared to be fully recovered and the ribs that began to stick out before her "vacation" finally had a healthy, but not heavy, amount of fat on them.  She had decided on staying at a lovely lake house in upstate New York, an area she visited regularly as a small child, where there was just enough privacy but also enough activity around to not go insane.  She often thought of her house in Baltimore and the flurry of activities she used to be involved in before her attack and before Hannibal Lecter ever came into her life.  Dr. du Maurier never became completely isolated after her retirement from psychiatry but she felt as though she let the best parts of her wither away.  After an invitation to a formal dinner came from one of her lake house neighbors, she decided it best to put herself out there and accept.  Bedelia wasn't sure how long she would be staying in town and she figured making friends with people who aren't constantly trying to out-play each other might allow the old Bedelia to return.  So when the night of the dinner came around, Bedelia du Maurier dressed in an elegant black dress and made her way over to her neighbors. 

                    Instantly after arriving at the front door, Bedelia felt something was amiss.  The house seemed eerily quiet for hosting a dinner party, no music, no voices and though the rooms in the house were not placed in a way that you could easily peer from room to room she still saw no signs of movement.  When Bedelia reached out to knock, the door opened with ease as the frame along the inside had been kicked in.  Every fiber in her body was telling her to run, yet her legs felt utterly stuck in their position.  When she finally gathered the strength back to move, she turned and was staring directly into the eyes of Hannibal Lecter.  He was wearing almost the exact same triumphant smirk she had worn when she left her home in Baltimore and had one hand hovering behind his back, which she was sure was handling whatever object he would use to kill her.  As he moved his hand to the front of him, Bedelia let out the tiniest noise of fright until her brain fully focused on the object in hand.  Hannibal was holding the small perfume bottle she had left for him and she hadn't a clue why.  She tried to gather any coherent sentence until all that came out was, "I don't understand."  Hannibal stepped closer and whispered in her ear, "I have a favor to ask of you and I don't think you'll refuse."  He hands the small bottle to her and adds, "But you will be needing this." 


	2. Pianificare l'Ultima Cena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hannibal is preparing his "Last Supper" with Jack Crawford, his mind wanders back to his careful planning with Bedelia once he has caught back up with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title means "Planning the Last Supper" in Italian.

Chapter 2: Pianificare l'Ultima Cena

 

                    Hannibal stood in his pristine kitchen preparing a meal he was sure would go to waste.  _Such a shame_ , he thought.  However, he knew if Bedelia had completed the task exactly as they had discussed, Jack would not be foolish enough to sit down for the meal at all.  In fact, he was undeniably certain there would be little-to-no small talk needed as well.

                    The "favor" he had required Bedelia to complete was an incredibly simple one.  "I ask only for you to purchase an item, any item will do, at the nearest shop to your current house," Hannibal began, watching Dr. du Maurier's face for any sign of protest or misunderstanding, but she only stared back at him with her usual cool reserve.  She broke her silence, "I will be using a credit card, I assume?  Something very easy for the FBI to trace?"  Hannibal only gave a single nod to confirm her questions.  "I see no benefit of being brought in only to be telling more half-truths," she continued, "but I also don't believe my value is of any use being sent to jail for murder.  So I can only conclude this is where you explain the last step in your master plan."

                    Hannibal sat back in the dinning room chair of Bedelia's lakeside house, a closed smile on his face.  This is the Bedelia he so very much enjoyed talking with.  Most people Hannibal came into contact with were not worthy to play his games, but Bedelia was something different.  When she was in top form, playing with her was like playing a game of chess with yourself, continuing forever because you'll always know the other player's next move.  And at that moment, that is exactly the type of person Hannibal needed on his side.

                    "Your half-truths have been irrefutably helpful in forming Jack Crawford's opinion of what really happened the day our patient died.  I have no doubt in my mind Jack will give you immunity in the belief you will be able to give him the proof he needs to bring me down."  Hannibal paused long enough to look Bedelia straight into her beautiful, blue eyes.  "And we both know, the truth is not able to give him that proof."  His stare was intense, and Bedelia was the first to break eye contact as she looked down at the perfume bottle Hannibal had given back to her.  She surmised that it would be a sign to Hannibal that the task had been successfully completed.  It wasn't a strong perfume, but she had it custom made for her and she knew Hannibal's nose would pick it up on Jack, or possibly Will Graham, when they next saw each other.  She pulled off the top of the bottle and dabbed a drop on her left wrist then rubbing into the other wrist and finally her neck.  "Is that everything?"  She looked back at Hannibal, confident enough to meet his stare.  "Not quite....when you talk to Jack, I need you to put the smallest bit of doubt in his mind that the well thought out plan of his was indeed his making.  If I am to beat him, I want him to be fully aware of what I am capable of."  She pursed her lips slightly, thinking just how exactly she would pull this off.  After a moment, she looked out the window to the beautiful sun rise peaking up over the trees and on to the water and sighed ever so slightly, "I understand."

                    Back in Hannibal's kitchen, his thoughts were brought to present when he heard his front door open and the heavy footsteps he knew to be Jack Crawford's.  As he entered the kitchen, the rough smell of Jack's aftershave hit Hannibal's nose.  Dr. Lecter took a few more breaths, but could smell nothing and he began to think maybe he should have stayed with Bedelia until he knew the first step had been completed.  When he was about to give up hope, the light, feminine scent of Dr. du Maurier's perfume hit his nose and he smiled and put the knife he had been cutting with atop the bowl of ingredients. _I knew she couldn't stand not playing our game for much longer_ , he thought.  His last supper in Baltimore about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've added Jack Crawford in the tags, but kept Will out because he's only mentioned briefly. Hopefully I'll be able to add him in later, if I can bring him enough into the story!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure yet if Will Graham will be making an appearance in this story. New Characters will be added in as the plot evolves. I absolutely love these two characters and I wanted a story that might realistically show how they could end up together. Hopefully Bedelia makes it through to season 4! We'll See!


End file.
